Do police officers really write tickets to make their quota?

Question

I know there are some people who really deserve a ticket but a friend of mine waas going 5 miles over the speed limit and instead of a warning, she got a $180 ticket and this was her first ticket. It wasn't in a school zone or anything, just a normal speeding ticket. I was told by someone that they have to make a quota every month? Why so much for the ticket and is there any truth to this?

Answer 1

we do not have quota's also i know of no state where the fine would be 185.00 for 5 miles over the posted speed limit , i also do not a officer that would even waste their time writing one for 5 miles over . the posted limit because most district justices i know would toss it out . to be truthful i wouldn't even bother stopping someone for 5 miles over the posted limit



i normally give 10 before i stop you , at 10 miles over i 90% of the time will leave you off with a warning 12 - 15 i will give a failure to obey traffic control device , it's considered a non moving violation and no points are given for it in pa and the fine is 89.00 , someone is over 15 or at any point acts like a idiot , then i write for maximum speed , or reckless driving and the $$$ and points just keep on rising

Answer 2

Either she gave you incorrect information as to what really happened, or someone is exagerating big-time. $180 for 5 mph over the limit? Puleeeeze! As far a quotas go, there was a time very many years ago when quotas ("targets", "personal goals", etc.) were a fact of life in law enforcement. They wanted quantity, not quality. Nowdays it's the other way around ... quality and accountability , over quantity. Let's say you are a member of a shift traffic unit and the *average* number of tickets given out (for all traffic offences) by all members of your shift for a complete five day week was 30 tickets. I'm your supervisor checking over shift results for that week and see that you only issued 4 tickets. I see that you were not off sick, were not on special assignment, and put in the same number of traffic hours everyone else did. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't call you in to discuss the issue. No 'quota' was involved, but wouldn't I be correct to see if you needed something? More training perhaps? Do you have a personal problem that is clouding your mind? What if you were a salesman and the results were the same? A factory worker making widgits? A call-center agent who only answered four incoming calls? Job performance and accountability, not a quota. Ya think?

Answer 3

No police department will admit they have quotas. Some have "performance goals". I work at a Law Enforcement Center and in my city there are no quotas or performance goals. However, they do participate in a state funded grant program. For cities that have a higher rate of traffic accidents and incidents, the state will pay overtime to officers who come in on off duty time and do nothing but run traffic. These officers are required to make at least one stop every hour that they are working. Also they are not allowed to give warning tickets. If a motorist is stopped and a violation is valid the officer must give a ticket. Maybe that was the situation when your friend got a ticket. Bottom line your friend was speeding. Quota or no, the officer had a right to give her a ticket.

Answer 4

In the state of New Mexico and my department, we do not have a quota. My officers are free to write or not write tickets. It is officer discretion. As far as the amount of the fine, it varies in this state. The state has a set fine for traffic. Then each city is given a court cost that is set by the state. For example, my town is small and court fine is $28. County court is set at $55. So, for the same infraction, my citation would be $30 less than what a sheriffs citation would be. OH then if a state officer writes a ticket, the fine is higher. By the way, I tend to drive 5 miles over the speed limit, so I let others do the same. However, the speed limit is just that, the speed limit set.

Answer 5

No. Quotas are illegal and any department that tried to implement them would have a fight on their hands from the union representing said police officers.



However, right now nationwide is the Click It or Ticket sweep. Most agencies are out in full force right now using up grant money they got for enforcing CIOT. If you've noticed more traffic stops lately, this is probably why. Agencies apply for grants for extra money. At the agency I work for, the CIOT grant gave officers 90 hours of overtime and dispatchers 60. This HAS to be used up or the agency won't get the grant money.



As for your friend, 5+ mph over the speed limit is STILL breaking the law. The officer was just doing his/her job and your friend shouldn't be speeding if she can't take the cost of it.

Answer 6

quotas have been achieved away with years in the past, they don't seem to be legal. Years in the past, sure we had them, as a count number of actuality in the 70s as quickly as I first placed a badge on, I have been given a proportion of each and every fee ticket I wrote and became paid, I have been given 10 % of the fee ticket. ( this is unlawful now additionally) Many departmenst only have site visitors officers assigned to site visitors, so as that they do no longer something yet end human beings and write site visitors tickets. they could do a e book an afternoon. different officers have a assessment month-to-month each and every call recieves maximum of things, and that they are rated by way of that eval. a decision some shotting or a arm theft may be greater factors, a jay walk alot much less factors. So in the event that they're demanding approximately sufficient factors, they could run extra tickets With that still whilst the state runs classes, like "click it or fee ticket" and different classes the place rigidity is placed on them to seize some particular site visitors crimes.

Answer 7

Why would a cop need to have quotas and write bogus tickets? Its not like they cant sit on any road at anytime and find 100s of drivers breaking traffic laws.

No...cops dont have quotas and yes your friend deserved a ticket, she was speeding.

Let me clear it up a bit. Sure a cop who gives more tickets is going to look better to his supervisers. But its not like they have rules that state, "You must write 100 tickets or you lose your job" A cop who writes more tickets is just doing his job better.

Answer 8

There is no quota, The idea of a quota came from people who felt that they were wrongly ticketed. A "quota" is actually unconstitutional and can be considered a violation of the 4th amendment.

Answer 9

It depends.



Where I live (Rochester, MI), the city council gave the police monthly ticket quotas they had to meet in their contract (we contract the job to the County Sheriff). The cops weren't happy about it, but what can be done?

Answer 10

if you talk to a police officer and ask them they will tell you no they dont have a quota ,that,s a story that some one started many years ago and it,s noe sort of a urban legend .no they do not have a quota .

Answer 11

Yes it is true that they have to meet a quota so don't speed at the beginning or end of the month because thats the time they try.

Answer 12

They are city employees, aren't they? Just like meter maids, if they meet their quota, they are in some big trouble. Fines are the primary way the city brings in money.

Answer 13

people watch way too much tv. there is no such thing as a quota

Answer 14

Writing tickets is part of their job.

Answer 15

Yes

Answer 16

Darn right you know it. They write bogus tickets so they can get their quota every month.

Answer 17

yes sometimes they go out and need to arrest a certain # of people, and at the end of the day, anything will do if they are desperate

Answer 18

i heard the same thing

i think its true

around the holidays is when

they really seem to give alot

of tickets

Answer 19

No, they don't have a quota.

Answer 20

i have heard the same

Answer 21

No.